Ship with convertible platform



Sept. 21, 1943. s, E; P55, 2,329,941

SHIP WITH CONVERTIBLE PLATFORMS Filed Jan. 15, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. SALEM ELIHU POHN 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 lI-l/III/I-IIIl/Il/I/l/III INVENTOR.

/ I/ I 1111/ IIIJ 1111 S. E. POSIN SHIP WITH CONVERTIBLE PLATFORMS Filed Jan. 15, 1945 i llllllrlll'lllllllll SALEM ELIHU PUSIN BY III/III IlII/lIII/I se m, 1943.

IIIIIIIIIII Sept. 21, 1943. s. E. PoslN SHIP WITH CONVERTIBLE PLATFORMS Filed Jan. 15, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. SALEM ELlHU PDSIN Sept. 21, 1943. s. POSlN 2,329,941

SHIP WITH CONVERTIBLE PLATFORMS I Filed Jan. 15, 1943 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 v VENTOR: Fig. 8 v SALEM EL POSIN MWW means are provided under the middle of the platform l as will be described later.

The platform 4 is divided across the length of the ship into four sections 5, 6, I and 8, each comprising two symmetrical parts or wings 9 and it] which, when in vertical position, are folded together. A vertical slot or channel H extends downward from the deck 2 into the ships body and receives the platform in folded condition. Each section may be separately lowered into or raised out of the slot H aswill be described later.

The ship is equipped with one or more hoisting devices or cranes, for example, with a mast l2" having a horizontal arm [3 carrying aghOOk I 4 at which a load may be suspended, for example,

by means of a block-and-pulley device, or the hook itself may be movable in vertical direction v I in any conventional manner. Said suspended load, for example an airplane, can be lowered from the level of the platform 4 to the deck 2.01: deeper into an opening of the'ships body after that section of the platform which is situated under the hook [4 .has .beenfolded. ,Then the load may be moved into a storing position either i on the deck 2 or in the ship. The reverse operation is performed when a load is to be moved from a storing position to the platform. Due" to the sectional structure of the pIatfOrmIthese op erations require the movementfof only a part of the platform, and the remaining part of the plat form provides instant and lastingprotectionfor the loads stored thereunder.

A number of vertical railsor posts lid stand on the deck 2, arranged in pairs at both sides of the slot ll. Each rail l5 hasa U shaped cross-section, the opening of the U being directed to the outer side and the flat back of. the U being in line with the side ofthe slot ll (Fig. 3). A bracket I 6 is affixed to each railv I5 and has. a bore, in which a shaft [1 is rotatably mounted. .The shaft 11 carries two rollers or pulleys, l8,.each serving one of two adjacent platform sections. At the endof the platform where only one section is to be served, similar rails are positioned,

but each of the latter carries only one roller I8.

Blocks or sleds i9, each having aboutthe width (in the longitudinal direction offthe slot 1 I) ofa roller is can slide vertically fromfthe bottom of the slot II to the upper end'ofth'e rails. l5,,-one ,1.

block l9 being provided for each end of, each platform section. Each block l9 has an upper extension equipped with a jointwhe'rethe two wings 9 and III of one platform section are linked;

The rollers l8 which are situated at one side of the slot ll (left side in Figs."3,*5and 6) have peripherial grooves carrying ropesor chains 2| having one end attached" to theuppe'r side of the corresponding block I9. From thispoint, the rope 2| runs over thegroove'd roller i8,"then downward and overt. pulley 22 from which the rope runs upward to its other end attached 'tothe lower side of the same block I93 Rotation of the pulley 22 pulls the block I 9 by means of the rope 2| up or down. "In the positionshown. in Fig. 3, L

the block [9 has not quite reached its uppermost positionyand the wings 9 and [0 are resting in an oblique position against the outer-surface of the corresponding rollers l8. A slight further upward movement of the block; l9 will lower the free ends of the, wings until they,come to rest on the posts 3. In the latter position, the wings form one horizontal platform supported .by the rollers l8 and the posts 3. The support maybe made resilient bycovers of elastic material su- 75 perposed to the upper ends of the posts 3, to the outer surface of the rollers l8 or to both, or affixed to the touching lower surfaces of the wings.

Lowering of the blocks l9 will pull the inner ends of the wings 9 and I 0 downward and will cause the outer ends to raise while the wings slide or roll along the rollers l8 until the two Wings are folded together in a vertical position. Further lowering of the blocks draws the folded platform section vertically downward until the same has reached the lowermost position and further movement is stopped. In the shown embodiment, the folded section can be completely drawn into the ship's body, and then, the upper end of the section closes the slot H and flushes with the deck 2. In modified embodiments, the slot may be lessdeep and the platform, in its lowermost position, may extend somewhat over the deck 2. When the block I9 is moved upward again, the wings are raised and start to unfold when their lower ends have passed the upper end of the rails j 5, While unfolding, the wings are guided along therollers l8. A counterweight 23 is attached to the rope 2| and is raised when the platform is lowered or vice versa whereby the power necessary for raising the platform is reduced. The weight 23 continues going down when the wings drop to the horizontal position whereby the whole system has a lower center of gravity when the platform is used than when it is concealed. This fact increases the stability ,of the ship because loads positioned on the platform will raise the center of gravity of the ship. The relatively high position of the load whenthe platform is used may be compensated also byother means, for example, by a pump which shifts fuel or ballast from higher tanks 25 throughpipes 2 1, 28 to lower tanks 26 when the platform is raised' and vice versa when the platform islowered. Left and righttanks 25 and 25, respectively 'communicate by pipes not visible in the drawings. V The decks or floors have openings 29 for the passage of thecounterweight 23. A lid 30 slotted for the passage of the rope 2| can be turned around in order to cover the opening 29 in the deck, 2 when the platform section is not to be moved. Suitable or'conventional means may be provided which allow to fix the platform section in either of the end positions'or also in any intermediate position.

A shaft 3| rotatably carried by bearings in brackets 32 extends longitudinally through the ship (Fig. 4) and can be driven'in any suitable manner not shown, preferably by a gear deriving power from the ships main engine which is located" atthe rear (funneliend' of the ship. A h'and'crank may be providedfor use in emergencies orinstead of the motor drive;

The shaft 3! carries a pulley 33 which, when coupled to the shaft 3!, drives the reversible pump 24 having a pulley 3 4 connected by a belt to the pulley 33. i @Theshaft 3| carries further pulleys35, one pulley 35 being provided for each platform section. Every pulley 35 can be separately coupled to the shaft 3| and then drives a pulley 36 affixed to a parallel shaft 31supportedby hearings in brackets 38. There is one shaft 11m each platform section, all said shafts 3'! beingco-axial,

butseparatedfrom each other. Each shaft 31 'carries two of the pulleys 22 mentioned before. These twojpulleys are connected to the shaft 31 passage of the ropes 2-1. v is prefer-ably made of steel, each section being two blocks m9 etaasdescrihed before. ;-'It.appears that coupling of one pulley $5-will im'ove oneseclilon of the aplatformiand ithatzcoupling of .all. .pulleys 35 will movie the entine platform; i

.F'igs. 5zand 16 show the upper end of the-raising device and 'the npperend. of the platfomnsec- 'tion in .a vertical :folded position-not yet raised the beams lhas the advantage that thesur'face of the platform offersa certain resistance to a rolling aircraftpwhereby "the landing way is reduced. If the spaces between thebeams are sumcien'tly wide, the structure may be so modified that two corresponding wings fold into each I other. f he-end beams $9 of each -sectin'have an angular and thicker cross-section and are adapted to roll over the rollers I8 as described before.

All beams of one section are connected' by a I number of parallel elementsextending-perpendicularly to the beams the" direction "of the shipis "length. These elements are represented by tubes 20 in the shown embodiment? In addition, the outer'edges-of the 'beamsGB ans-s9 are connected bya flat rim 4! which, inthefhorizontal position, falls over the posts -3, 3,116,111 the concealed position, closes theslot H. The'rims M of the sections d have small slots 42 for the welded together. Or any other suitable material or structure maybe-used. j

Referring to 9, a platformd ot raised over a slotted deck I 6 2 forms a horizontal continuation of a higher deck i-B3 of the same ship. In this modified embodiment, the deck 1-83 is apart of the totalavailable platform area whichpa-rt is permanentlyin horizontal position and may be equipped with devices and openings for moving airplanes etc. from or to the level of the platform. The details of the invention not-shown in Fig-9 are similar as the details described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8.

Fig. 10 shows two ships of the kind described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8. These two ships are anchored in parallel position, and their unfolded platforms are connected into one broader platform. This modification makes it possible to use ships for the operation of aircraft which are singly not big enough to carry a sufficiently large landing platform.

The modification shown in Fig. 11 differs from those shown in the other figures in that the slots ill and H2 are directed across the ship instead of lengthwise. The same figure illustrates another modification consisting of two alined enlargements H3 of a part of the ship situated over the water line. The slot l I extends beyond the original edge of the slotted deck into said enlargements H3.

Certain ship types, for example, tankers, are usually so designed that the funnel, engine and bridge are near the rear end of the ship, and the so far described embodiments have been illustratect in connection with such ship types. The use of a ship of this tanker type, however, is no indispensible feature of the invention and the latter may be applied to other ship types. For

"The entirefplatform ingaisliip with :a Lccntral .tliunnel ill. :modi- I tficartimdaas :two parallel rows of platform sections 5] and '52., the sections i"! being fol-dable at the line friend the sections d2 :bemgf'dldable rat-lthe' lmefl; The two rows are mes'ti'ngpn commomposts arraneedunder theline-EB. Two 1ongitudinalnlcts, each for the reception of one row of fsecliidms, :aresituated :m'ider't'l'ie Y-lin-es 5B and 5d; Wings of the platform sections which sounded the funnel .fifl'are recessed or ECU-t put at ififistcalldw for the :freepassage of the funnel; iQther accesses .51 surround the bridge or .othernarts towering over the, platform.

Other modifications :can bc made by anyone ask-tiled in'tthe -art without departing from the s irit/65f my invention, and .I desire :it understood that my invention :is not confined to the forms and us-asdescribed as the samezare only :a few -Cifalih many that can be employed to carry..-out the invention;

Havingnow, described my invention, what i I cl im and :desire to by Letters :Patent is:

.s-lotgmfitending from said deck into body, a

movable;platform.means supporting said platform whensaid platform is in a honizontalposi- :tion oversaid'deck, and means to movesaid platformvfrom said horizontal mositirm into saidwslot snd ut of :said slotinto said horizontal position.

a slot extending from said deck into -,said body, a v

foldahle and vertically. movable platform, means supporting said platform when said platform is anunfoldcd horizontal position over saidydeck, and; means to move said platform in 'foldedcondi- .tion intoandoutnfsaidslot' 4. A ship having a floating body with a deck forming an upper surface of said body and with a slot extending from said deck into said body, a movable platform comprising a plurality of separate sections, means supporting said platform sections in equally high horizontal positions over said deck, and means to move each of said platform' sections separately from said horizontal position into said slot and out of said slot into said horizontal position.

5. A ship having a floating body with a deck forming an upper surface of said body and with a slot extending from said deck into said body, a foldable and vertically movable platform comprising a plurality of separate sections, means supporting said platform sections in equally high, horizontally unfolded positions over said deck,

and means to move each of saidplatform sections separately in folded condition into and out said slot.

6. A ship having a floating body with a deck forming an upper surface of said body and with a slot extending from said deck into said body, a I

movable platform, means supporting said platform when said platform is in a horizontal posilifiA -ship;having :a floating body with a :dec-k, .fonmmgfan upper surfaceof said body and with a tion over said deck, and means completely confined to the space under-the upper levelof said platform and adapted to move said platformfrom said horizontal position into said slot and out of said slot into said horizontal position.

'7. A ship having a floating body with a deck forming an upper surface of said body and with a slot extending from said deck intosaid body, a movable platform comprising a large number of parallel spaced beams connected by crossing elements, means supporting said platform when said platform is in a horizontal position over said deck, and means to move said platform from said horizontal position into said slot and out of said slot into said horizontal position. i

8. A ship having a floating body with a deck forming an upper surface-of said bodyand with a slot extending from said deck intosaid'body, a movable platform, means supporting said platform when said platform is in a horizontal position over said deck, means to move said platform from said horizontal position into said slot and out of said slot into said horizontal position, and a rim afiixed to said platform at'an edge parallel to said slot, and sufficiently broad in a direction perpendicular to the surface of said platform to cover said slot when said platform has been moved intosaid slot.

9. A ship having a floating body with a deck formin an upper surface of said body and with a slot extending fromsaid deck into said body, a movable platform comprising a plurality of separate sections, means supporting said platform sections in equally high horizontal positions over said deck, means to move each of said platform sections separately from said horizontal position into said slot and out of said slot into said horizontal position, and a hoisting device extending over one of said platform sections. l

10. A ship having a floating bodywith a deck forming an upper surface of said body and with a slot extending from saiddeck into said body, a movable platform, means supporting said platform when said platform is in a horizontal position over said deck, means to move said platform from said horizontal position into said slot and out of said slot into said horizontal position, and a weight movable in response to the movement of said platform and over compensating that vertical shift of weight which is caused by the movement of said platform.

11. A ship having a floating body with a deck forming anupper surface of said body and with a slot extending from said deck into said body, a movable platform, means supporting said platform when said platform is in a horizontal position over said deck, means to move said platform from said horizontal position into said slot and out of said slot into said horizontal position, and rails extending from said slot upward and guiding the movement of said platform when said platform is in vertical position over said slot..

12. A ship-having a floating body with two decks forming two differently high upper surfaces of said body and with a slot extending from the lower of said decks into said body, a movable platform, means supporting said platform when said platform is in a horizontal position flushing with the higher of said decks, and means to move said platform from said horizontal position into said slot and out of said slot into said horizontal position.

13. A combination of two ships, each having a floating body with a deck forming an upper surface of said body and with a slot extending from saiddeck into said body, a movable platform, means to support said platform when said platform is in a horizontal position over said deck and means to move said platform from said horizontal position into said slot and out of said slot into said horizontal position, the two platforms ofsaid ships having the same level, when supported in horizontal position, and being temporarily connected to each other.

14. A ship having a floating body with a deck forming an upper surface of said body and with a slot extending from said deck into said body, a movable platform, means supporting said platform when said platform is in a horizontal position over said deck, means to move said platform from said horizontal position into said slot and out of said slot into said horizontal position, and anenlargement of that part of the ships body which is in the direction of said slot, said slot extending beyond the edge of said deckinto said enlargement.

SALEM ELIHU POSIN. 

